Field
Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to polyurethane foams having viscoelastic properties. More specifically, embodiments pertain to machine-washable polyurethane viscoelastic foam and devices made therefrom.
Description of the Related Art
Viscoelastic foam, or “memory foam,” is produced by reaction of polyol and isocyanate compounds, which results in a polyurethane foam having viscoelastic properties. Such viscoelastic foam has diverse applications, including pillows, mattresses, and other bedding devices.
Viscoelastic foam tends to absorb and retain water. As a result, devices made therefrom cannot easily be washed and dried. Typically, viscoelastic foam devices are covered using machine-washable covers (e.g., cotton covers). In such a conventional approach, the machine-washable covers are removed and laundered via an ordinary machine washing and drying cycle, while the viscoelastic foam devices themselves are manually spot cleaned.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art are machine-washable viscoelastic foams and devices made therefrom.